Stand-up great Jim Gaffigan takes ‘Quality Time’ on Las Vegas Strip

Jim Gaffigan might come off as casual and composed in his stand-up act. But he says, “I live in this pool of overwhelmed.”

Gaffigan’s — headlining his “Quality Time” tour stop at 7:30 and 10 p.m. Saturday at Encore Theater — work schedule reads like that of an entire entertainment company. He has seven films being released this year, playing the lead in two. One is “Being Frank,” a comedy opening Father’s Day weekend; and “American Dreamer,” a thriller opening Sept. 20, in which Gaffigan is a ride-share driver who doubles as a private driver for a drug dealer.

And he is planning a seventh comedy special, also called “Quality Time,” which is the first stand-up concert show on Amazon Prime. The performance was captured March 9 at State Theatre in Minneapolis and is directed by his wife and collaborator, Jeannie Gaffigan. The Gaffigans, dubbed “The Comedy’s Quietest Power Couple” by Vanity Fair, were shaken when Jeannie was diagnosed with a brain tumor in spring 2017.

“There was this sudden reality that we might not be able to go and do what we’d been doing,” Gaffigan says. “Now we are relishing the opportunities.”

Jeannie Gaffigan survived the scare and is recovering. “She’s doing very well, doing great,” Jim Gaffigan says. “She’s not 100 percent. You know, you can’t really have something the size of a pear removed from your head and be the exact same person, but she still has a lot more energy than I do.”

Performing stand-up remains Gaffigan’s passion.

“Having done stand up as long as I have, it’s just way beyond even a coping mechanism,” the 52-year-old comic said. “It’s part of my daily ritual, you know what I mean? It’s something that keeps me grounded. I think that coming up with jokes and doing shows keeps me kind of sane.”

Kimmel extends

Jimmy Kimmel can back-burner plans to work as a cook at his new comedy venue on the Strip. Kimmel joked during the opening weekend of Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club at Linq Promenade that if he didn’t extend his contract at ABC, “I’lll be making chicken fingers, right here at the club.”

Cancel the order. Kimmel and the network agreed to a new contract that would keep him as host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” for the next three years. His contract with the company was due to expire at the end of the year. In his 17th season, Kimmel is one of the longest-tenured hosts on late-night TV.

Kimmel’s agreement will be felt, positively, at JKCC, where he plans to present stand-up performances from the club on the late-night show. Kimmel appeared at the annual network “upfronts” in New York on Tuesday. Kimmel told the assembled advertisers, “We know exactly what Gen Z wants. Unfortunately, it’s Netflix.”

Conway’s donation

The announcement of comic legend Tim Conway’s death on Tuesday carried an unexpected request: That donations in his name be sent to the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. Conway reportedly had suffered from Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, which causes swelling in the ventricles in the brain. Conway had been treated at the facility, and his family were avid supporters. Conway and his legendary sidekick, Harvey Korman, last appeared in Las Vegas at the Stardust from May 17-20, 2006, just a few months before the hotel closed the following November.

Ruvo anniversary marked

On the topic of the Ruvo family, Cleveland Clinic founder Larry Ruvo was unexpectedly honored at the Palms on Tuesday night for his 50th anniversary at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. Ruvo signed onto the liquor distributor on April 20, 1969. His daughter, Nicole, a communications exec with Dom Perignon, announced the anniversary at her company’s Elevations release party for the company’s Plentitude 2 Vintage 2002 and Rose 2006 wines.

The event started at Mr. Coco, ascended to the Damien Hirst-designed Empathy Suite, and closed out the Kingpin Suite near the top of the Fantasy Tower. The night also fell on Nicole Ruvo’s birthday, and she was served a befitting confection: a cake made into the Dom Perignon crest, created by Cipriani of Wynn Las Vegas.

Electric Daisy Carnival attendees began to vacate the Las Vegas Motor Speedway starting before 5 a.m., the majority heading south on Interstate 15.

What it's like to skip the lines and fly by helicopter to EDC

What it's like to skip the lines and fly by helicopter to EDC. (Janna Karel Las Vegas Review-Journal)

DJ Steve Aoki visits Las Vegas comic book store

DJ Steve Aoki visits Torpedo Comics in Las Vegas Friday, May 17, 2019, for a signing for his new comic book series "Neon Future." (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @KMCannonPhoto

Las Vegas Smith & Wollensky opens at The Venetian

After 18 years, the Smith & Wollensky location on Las Vegas’ south Strip closed in 2017, to be re-born two years later with a rib-cutting — instead of a ribbon-cutting — in The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian. (Heidi Knapp Rinella/Review-Journal)

Colin Cantwell, Creator Of Iconic Star Wars Ships Visits Vegas

Colin Cantwell, who created and designed such "Star Wars" ships as the X-Wing fighter, and Death Star, met fans at Rogue Toys in Las Vegas today. (Mat Luschek / Review-Journal)

Dozens of chefs representing some of the Strip’s top restaurants gathered Thursday at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas to launch the 2019 edition of Vegas Uncork’d by Bon Appetit. (Al Mancini/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Bunky the Clown at the clown convention

Bob "Bunky the Clown" Gretton talks about his life as a clown and the Clown Convention which was in Las Vegas at Texas Station this week. (Mat Luschek / Review-Journal)

Frying soft-shell crab at Lola’s in Las Vegas

At Lola’s: A Louisiana Kitchen in Las Vegas, soft-shell crab is breaded and fried and served either as an appetizer, po’boy or platter. Heidi Knapp Rinella/Review-Journal

There are plenty of events going on May the 4th this year around Las Vegas. Celebrate Star Wars and Comic Book Day all at once. The Rogue Toys, the 501st, Rebel Legion and Millennium Fandom Bar are all hosting fun events to help celebrate your geek-dom. (Mat Luschek / Review-Journal)

Las Vegas Water Sports Introduces New Attraction At Lake Las Vegas

Las Vegas Water Sports will debut its new aqua park attraction at Lake Las Vegas Days this weekend. (Mat Luschek / Review-Journal)

The M, Park MGM and NoMad are just a few great pools in Las Vegas. (Mat Luschek/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Jose Andres explains Iberico pork

(Al Mancini/Las Vega Review-Journal)

Inside Life is Beautiful

Craig Asher Nyman explains how Life is Beautiful festival is booked and talks about this year's line-up. (Jason Bracelin/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Tattoo'd America Pops Up In Vegas

Tattoo'd America, a new pop-up attraction on the Linq Promenade, had their grand opening Friday. The attraction is dedicate to the culture of tattoos. (Mat Luschek / Review-Journal)

Jose Andres gets key to the Strip

Chef Jose Andres was presented with a Key to the Las Vegas Strip and a proclamation declaring April 26 Jose Andres Day in Clark County by County Commissioner Tick Segerblom on Friday. The ceremony took place at his restaurant Bazaar Meat in the SLS Las Vegas. (Al Mancini/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender runs Thursday, April 18th through Sunday, April 21st with a huge car show on Saturday featuring The Reverend Horton Heat, The Delta Bombers and The Coasters. (Michael Quine/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Brownie sundae at VegeNation in Las Vegas is completely vegan

Donald Lemperle, chef/owner of VegeNation in Las Vegas and nearby Henderson, NV, makes his sundae with ice cream made with coconut and almond milks, a brownie made with coconut flour and oil and organic sugar and cacao, and fresh fruit. (Heidi Knapp Rinella/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Celine Dion performed “Because You Loved Me,” “Ashes,” Beauty and the Beast” and “My Heart Will Go On.” Her arrival drew a roar from the 300 VIPs in attendance, who were not informed of the night’s entertainment.